Sorry Crested Cranes, it takes more than just better luck

KAMPALA.

In the end, failure to qualify for the November 17 – December 1 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) for the first time since 2000, was a bitter pill to take.
When the draws for the first qualification round were made last year, Ugandans knew Kenya held the upper hand but a gallant defensive display in the first leg 1-0 defeat in Machakos gave hope.
The confession from most players and indeed their coach Faridah Bulega, was that they had gone to Kenya not to win but to avoid the humiliations of old, including some in 2016 where Crested Cranes lost 4-0 twice in a space of two months to the Harambee Starlets.
The Crested Cranes were more daring in the April 8 return leg at Star Times Stadium, Lugogo but could not utilize their chances and were ejected after a goalless home draw. “You reap what you sow,” the coach Faridah Bulega, said in the aftermath as she bid for more engagements for a national team that had last come together in September 2016 for the CecafaWomen’s Championship in Njeru.
Them the national team Bulega inherited from Majidah Nantanda finished fourth in an event that attracted seven countries.
The next convening came 10 days to the encounter in Machakos. Therefore in all essence, Uganda had not done enough to qualify if the preparations were anything to go by. Bulega’s side entered into a residential camp for only a week. They played trial games against Kampala Junior Team (KJT) – a boys’ side, Kampala Select and Uganda Christian University (UCU) Lady Cardinals, before they braved a 723.4km road trip to Machakos.
Fortunately, there were no signs of fatigue as the Crested Cranes willingly sat back to keep Kenya away from running riot. But we will never know if they could have done better had Bulega had more time to figure out the deficiencies she tried to minimize in her side.
Prior the coach, who doubles as Kampala Queens tactician, was worried about her central defense but in a week, Yudaya Nakayenze and Shadia Nankya managed to forge a commendable partnership.
In midfield, Tracy Jones Akiror seized her chance after sitting on the fringes of past teams while Shakirah Mutiibwa was a breath of fresh air with her hard running style. The Achilles heel was that star forward Hasifah Nassuna had to drop deeper to give the midfield the much needed guile and creativity.
Bulega’s side had to brave that distance again immediately after the 1-0 loss in order to have at least two training sessions at the astro-turf pitch in Lugogo ahead of the second leg. The goalless home draw cannot be interpreted as just another result but a confidence boost, a turning point perhaps, for the Crested Cranes that must continue with a rebuilding job.
“We believe that we no longer have to worry about Kenya. We look forward to the next time we have to play them,” Akiror told SCORE in the aftermath of an unsuccessful qualification campaign.
“Maybe we put a lot of pressure on ourselves before the match. We wanted goals that can take us through rather than first finding that one goal that could level the tie. All the same we have turned a corner.”
To aid the process, Crested Cranes must first find the creative player that will allow Nassuna to be let loose and play in her favourite forward position. Such a player could have been Rita Nabbosa that made the move to India’s Gokulam Kerala just shortly before Bulega announced her squad.
Zainah Namuleme, Asia Nakibuuka and Juliet Nalukenge are a young attacking trident that has more to learn and could have done with the support of Gokulam’s Fazirah Ikwaput, who at least had five national team games under her belt before she left the country.
Besides, women’s football can nolonger afford to celebrate exportation of players as an achievement when the same individuals cannot be given the chance to play for the national team.